BENGALURU: The Legislative Council on Tuesday passed the Eva Nammava Eva Nammava Bill -- The Karnataka Freedom of Choice in Marriage and Prevention and Prohibition of Crimes.
After the Bill was passed, Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister HK Patil said legislation strengthens safeguards for inter-caste and love marriages and marks an important first step towards empowering the youth in a largely male-dominated society and ensuring an end to honour killings.
The Bill received strong support from Congress MLCs, including S Ravi Kumar, Vasanth Kumar, FH Jakkappanavar, Ramesh Babu, and actor-MLC Umashree.
BJP members, led by N Narayanaswamy, CT Ravi, and Pratap Simha Nayak, said they were not opposing the bill but felt it was “not enough”.
Patil said, “We have realised its importance. I can only say this is the beginning of a social dialogue. I will not claim it is a social change.” He clarified that the bill would not instantly create a casteless society but represented a significant initial step in the right direction.
He said one legislator suggested mandatory counselling for couples entering inter-caste marriages. “We will take this issue forward. If counselling is needed, we will consider providing it,” he assured the House.